Lockhart is the county seat of Caldwell County which is centrally located just 15 miles from Austin, 5 miles from Interstate 35 and San Marcos with Interstate 10 running through Luling at the southern tip of the county. The new SH-130 will be bisecting the county from the north to the southwest.

It’s that time of year again when, your local Volunteer Fire Department will be sending out the request for yearly dues and donations. The money collected during this time keeps the departments functioning, since these departments are manned by volunteer staff funds are not allocated in city or county budgets.

This year, during the Labor Day weekend, we saw the worst fire season this area has seen in years. It brought home that without the volunteer fire departments hundreds of more homes and properties would have been lost.

Did you have a fire near your home? Were you in the path of one of these fires?

Even if you weren’t directly affected by one of the many fires, you knew someone who was and saw all of the devastating pictures in the paper and on the news broadcasts. All of these hard-working men and women fought day and night to keep our homes as safe as possible. Some of these fire fighters did this after working their “real 8-5” jobs, taking them away from their families and working thru many nights.

Your dues and donations are used to pay for the maintenance on the vehicles, equipment and supplies for the station, utilities, and training. While non-monetary donations are appreciated, monetary donations are utilized towards each department’s specific needs.

So please take a few minutes to think about the time, courage, and selflessness that these men and women have given to our community. Giving to these departments will allow them to give to us in our time of need, whether it’s a fire or an automobile accident or providing community gathering.

Thank you to all of the men and women of the Caldwell County Volunteer Fire Departments for being here for us.